Render Your Own Lard

Got a bag of pig fat in the freezer just waiting for you to turn it into lard? Don’t put it off any longer!
In this video, Carolyn will show you how to easily turn that fat into the ultimate homesteading kitchen multi-tool... lard!
Get the printable, step by step directions here:
homesteadingfamily.com/render...
Rendering fat is the process of melting animal fat and straining it to remove the
meat, veins, tissues, and impurities that would make it go bad. The result of properly rendered lard should be white, creamy shortening (a fat that is solid at room temperature and liquid at warmer temperatures).
The byproduct of rendering is cracklings, the tissues removed from the fat and deep-fried during the rendering process.
This exact same method is used to render beef fat, sheep fat, goat fat, deer fat, bear fat, chicken fat or goose fat.
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MORE ABOUT US!
WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo
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Your Best Loaf - A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: homesteadingfamily.com/free-b...
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FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Homesteading Family's Favorite Holiday Recipes - Grab all of our family’s favorite holiday recipes. homesteadingfamily.com/free-h...
- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT
- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
homesteadingfamily.com/PFYH_YT
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles - These easy casseroles are a life-saver for busy weeks! homesteadingfamily.com/MABC_YT
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YT
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden - Get an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden. homesteadingfamily.com/5Steps...
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop. homesteadingfamily.com/STC_YT
- Fearless Fermenting- A simple guide on basic lacto-ferments. homesteadingfamily.com/FF_YT
- Fermenting Tomatoes - Easiest and fastest tomato preservation: homesteadingfamily.com/FT_YT
- Preserving Culinary Herbs - Downloadable, step-by-step directions to drying, freezing, and salting culinary herbs. homesteadingfamily.com/PCH_YT
- Render Your Own Lard - Grab these easy instructions on how to render your own lard. homesteadingfamily.com/RYL_YT
- Grandma Lynn's Blueberry Buckle - A delicious dessert anytime of year: homesteadingfamily.com/BB_YT

[@michaelvarney.]

Pro tip... Take a tablespoon of previously rendered lard and melt that into the pan at the beginning to start things off. This will allow you to start the rendering at a lower temperature when you put the bigger pieces in.

[@pamelaremme38]

Great tip. Thanks!

[@homesteaderfiftywmartha603]

That's crazy.. I did that because it just made sense... Great tip! It confirms and helps..

[@momma1208]

Thanks Michael!

[@nancycogar3864]

I was raised rendering lard. My daddy raised hogs and everybody in the holler that had one that needed to slaughtered what come together and we would render lard and package all the meat. My uncle did all of the cutting, he was the best butcher around. Those were days!!!

[@Preciousaccordingto977]

Hey, I live in a holler!! Love it!

[@clw.7146]

My elderly mother is 86 yo. She has memories of her grandmother processing sausage into quarts & half gallon jars. Then they poured fat over the top to protect the meat. So that's how they canned sausage in the good old days. Just a little blast from our past.

[@AHD2105]

Yes, miss all the pork we had access to also as we had a pig farm on our farm also. As we were commercial we had to use the local abattoir's. 😊 You must've been so proud of your pa and what a great skill.

[@hereholdthiswillya]

Pro tip: if you're going to store jars of stuff in the freezer, make sure you don't fill above where the jar starts to curve centerward toward the mouth of the jar. That spot is called the jar's hip. If your stuff is over that place, when it expands as it freezes, the jar will bust, but below that spot, and it magically expands upward and everything turns out fabulous

[@emmaschauer5409]

I know this is an older video, but Carolyn, I love the way you explain things. Just like a friend giving advice. You and your family are a joy and an inspiration. Thank you, and God bless you all. ❤

[@ellenfisher6341]

Wonderful video ! It's amazing how many people think it is horrible to use lard ~ yet use Crisco & margarine !!!

[@RR-ep6uc]

Warm up a corn or flower tortilla put your cracklings add some hot salsa and oh my God your in Heaven eating your burrito. Also fry your pinto beans with this lard and they’ll taste wonderful. Thank you for sharing your talent.

[@Honeygirl1611]

Add some shredded sharp cheese on your cracklings and salsa and it'll take your burrito over the top!

[@OnTheFritz602]

So much healthier than trans fat shortening! Great vid!

[@morehn]

Edible plastic?

[@hollystanley8730]

Thank you for this video. I bought 2 pork lions from a local butcher to can. It had a lot of fat on it and it looked really white and so I decide I would try my hand at rendering lard. I watched many other videos but yours was so good and you explained and showed every single step so well. Well I did it exactly like you said snd every step went just like you said it turned out great. Thank you!

[@lacyhay6502]

Now I know why my grandmother pies were so good and everyone loved them. Her health took a turn for the worse before she could teach me everything. I'm glad I found your channel!

[@lacyhay6502]

Ann Merrick it was stress and she had pheumonia that triggered her first heart attack cause she would walk to work in the rain cause she couldn't afford to get her car fixed. Then she went into a depression and her health got even worse when she lost her job and she went home to be with the Lord January 1, 2009.

[@lacyhay6502]

Ann Merrick yes I did when I was not in school I was 15 years old when it all started. I even got a job before I turned 16 to financially help out cause none of her kids cared about her. Even after I got married I went to her house three to four times a week I cooked and did her laundry. cause like I said none of her kids cared about her. She was tough as nails until she got sick. She would cry herself to sleep cause I had to juggle school and work and take of her.

[@scruffy6151]

Ann Merrick. Go strees yourself on someother channel.

[@williamstanley4960]

I am noticing that patience produces the best food preparation results. Combined with the fact that we (generally) need to eat every day, and food preparation becomes a Patience Education Center. I love how God created us!

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

I rewatched your big batch lard rendering for "a years supply" 😊 .. Awesome family event!

[@MarysNest]

Hi Carolyn, Thanks so much for the great demonstration. You are always so interesting. Thanks for sharing your info!! Love, Mary ❤️😘❤️

[@Jimmy-wd5nk]

This is Jimmy from Indiana. Thanks so much for this valued information. My wife and I are raising 3 feeder pigs on our homestead for our own fresh pork. I am planning on rendering our own lard. When I was growing up my mom and mamaw did this. But you know kids especially boys don't pay attention. Thanks again. And I am going to use an iron pot. God bless!!!

[@kerry7306]

I rendered 7 pints of lard from our pigs today!! God Bless you for teaching these ways of living and processing food!!

[@ButterFly-zh8ho]

I do the same thing with the skin of chickens, I use grilled skin like chips and I keep the fat of the skin in a jar for cooking vegetables, pasta or rice.

[@benwood04]

That is the biggest Dutch oven I have ever seen.

[@JasonSmith-qx3zh]

No doubt!

[@serenitysview]

I love that big cast iron pot.

[@GrapeApe2018]

The bottom of beyond further patching, cut off blue jean legs, whip stitched closed at the cut end makes great covers for jars that need darkness. The factory hem makes it's own kickstand if you will, to keep shelves tidy without bulk from collapsed fabric pooling using towels and such.

[@daniellegrazianistone4632]

I just finished my first batch of rendering fat. I made the fat a little too big, the size of my little pinkie finger from the last knuckle to the tip of the finger. Got plenty but not what I was expecting. My second batch I cut them so much smaller and I'm getting a ton of product! Three times as much! Thank you so much for the helpful video!

[@g0ddam]

Maybe consider purchasing a cheap mincer if you plan on doing this frequently. I think it will help increase the yield a lot. Have a great day.

[@Whitebloominglotus]

You are one amazing woman!!! You remind of my Mother, oh how she loved canning! And did we love devouring everything she made. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. God bless.

[@cameronmccoy5051]

Would it not be better to put the straining cloth between the mesh strainer and the funnel? I would think it would help hold it in place as well as letting the larger holes in the mesh strainer catch the larger particles and keep them out of the cloth, leaving it to handle the finer particles. Just a thought

[@victoriaolender6289]

We render our own lard from roasts and other meats that we've cooked, it's a way of saving everything that you get from your cooking for other uses. The extra spices always make it taste amazing, and we use it for spreads and frying since we don't get as much out of it. It's something we've kept from our grandparents who grew up living on a small farm, and they had to find ways to save what they could, as they didn't have much. I'm a new subscriber and I feel very much inspired by your and other homesteaders' journeys and lives to start my own homestead one day. I think rekindling our past traditions, knowledge, and purpose in producing for ourselves has much been lost, and I want to live healthier and closer to the land as well. I just have a question, not sure if you've addressed this in other videos: Does your family derive all your income from the homestead, or do you work jobs on the side to finance everything, along with a partial income from your animals and crops? Could you make a video on the financial aspect of homesteading (cost of raising animals/crops, profits, etc)? Much love from Canada, God bless, and best wishes for you, your family, and your homestead! Always looking forward to the next video!

[@robertblackburn180]

In South Africa we call what you do dripping.

[@momma1208]

Do you just save and freeze fat from roasts/steaks/etc until you have enough that you want to render?

[@LittleCountryCabin]

GREAT video!! Carolyn, your info was spot on. I recently rendered a batch of lard using water. I should have known better. This wasn't my first time to render. Well, the whole batch molded. It was a disaster! I will never do that again. It was fat from our own hogs so I knew it was clean and healthy. So disappointed! Thank you so much for sharing and teaching. You and your family are a blessing to so many. I know as for me, you help keep me motivated. It's so good to see you back. God bless ya'll❤️

[@michellelaclair]

Homemade Homestead

[@kathyjohnson9288]

I know this is an old post, but I just made my own lard following your very clear instructions. It wasn't as disgusting a process as I imagined. Thank you. Pbs

[@Givvemhell]

So glad to see this! My niece raised a pig for us and I asked for the lard from the butcher. How long does it keep in the freezer before it must be rendered? You mentioned something about that, but not the time restriction. This was a great instructional video - I feel very confident about this chore now with what you have taught here. Thank you very much.

[@1959jimbob]

My family used to do this every winter. We used great big cast iron "wash pots" But we also would render 100 pounds or more. This is the best tutorial I have ever seen on this process. Thank you so much for doing this.

[@brianodell7843]

I did this with beef fat that I had from my trimmings from doing your stew canning witch came out great! I was surprised on how long it took for the bubbles to quit. But My talon came out great. Due to the time it took I think I will try it in a crock pot next time I make it.

[@judyhowell7075]

Brian Odell did you ever try with crock pot?

[@mdirtydogg]

Crystal clear and detailed instructions. Thank you.

[@amandaguidry4242]

I can't WAIT to do this! You explain it all so well, and make it seem so easy! Thank you!

[@minavamp2811]

i love lard. i use it in cooking all the time instead of using vegetable oil. the fat bits that is left over after the lard has been rendered are my favorite. i use them in salad and topping for other dishes. they add so much flavor to the dishes.

[@bettyescookingchannel]

Thanks for sharing your information on lard.

[@yardmasterswealtheducation8424]

I love cooking with cast iron! Been on it for going on three weeks now. The hardest thing to learn is patience! If I warm my pan up for 4 minutes on low to medium heat, run a stick of butter over the bottom of the pan, and then put eggs in, they sound like they are burning with the intensity of a hundred suns! LOL But, that stops in a couple seconds, and the low to medium heated pan takes over! I never have anything stick anymore! --- So, why all that? When you start the bacon on a cold pan, and turn the heat on, the fat is not damaged like it is when it is seared. It seems like this physics reality is being employed here, too, and that is an exciting connection to make at six in the morning. BTW, thank you so much for posting the videos you have produced. You are an exceptional teacher!

[@randomsaltyperson1148]

You're video is the best by far! You're so knowledgeable and the one I trust the most! Love this! Rendering some now.

[@larryhagemann5548]

Great video...thank you for making such a crisp presentation which is fun to watch.

[@BrendaBodwin]

Thank you!!! I'm so tired of explaining this to people. Now I can refer them to your video. Yay!!!

[@cherylmockotr]

Huh!! I used to come across the word cracklings when I read books as a child... 45 years later and I finally know what they are!

[@cestlina]

Yess..now I'm educated..thanks I'm making it this evening following the direction.

[@poppykok5]

Such an interesting & fun tutorial...I'm old enough to remember my tiny, sweet &"feisty," little Irish Gramma rendering lard early on Saturday mornings & constantly reminding us kids to be careful that we don't get BURNED by getting too close to the "bubbling cauldron"... HaHa *: )*

[@Greens5511]

Thanks! I have had pork rendering fat in the freezer for a couple months, half afraid to do this....I am going to now!

[@doloresterrell5334]

Thank you so much. I will be doing this for my first time this weekend. Love your videos

[@FunnyFarmHomestead]

Great video thank you!! My Kune Kune was butchered Saturday and since they’re known for their lard I look forward to rendering it myself. Thx

[@justme-uw6bz]

Excellent video, thank you.

[@jjcjr009]

13:03 I thought you were going to eat the spoonful. lol 👍

[@wickednoreast5496]

Lol I did too!

[@seanmanwill2002]

Same here!

[@digginguptheroots2725]

I love this! I never thought of using a huge dutch oven for this.

[@prairienightssewingwithlis8966]

Thank you so much for helping me through my first batch of lard!

[@pamelaremme38]

Wow, great info about the bubbling!!! Should have watched this video first! You answered ALL my questions.

[@thebarefootflutist]

That’s what I said! I had my pot going already after watching other people.

[@jumpoffa5011]

Excellant video, chalked full of information.

[@kaybee8205]

Thank you for these detailed and concise instructions

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Glad it was helpful!

[@cathyramos4849]

I so love you and your whole entire family it’s on my bucket list to meet you one day I raise 10 children myself and my youngest is in her 20s so I’m working on grandkids now I have nine I have learned so much from your channel And I appreciate your honesty and transparency you have a beautiful family God bless you all

[@deltastarlight5111]

This was really helpful. wish I had watched it BEFORE my first 'making lard' time. Made a big mess... but the lard so far does not look too bad.

[@jrtagranger]

This is such an excellent video. Thank you so very much!

[@clw.7146]

This video gave me the confidence to tackle rendering lard. When I ordered our pig I requested the leaf fat. I got this huge bag of fat back when we picked up the pork. The processor gave me a mixed bag of fat. Halfway through I found the leaf fat and I realized all the previous fat was back fat. I even had one chunk of caul fat. So lesson learned I can now identify all three types of pork fat. Next year I can render the leaf fat separately. My question is the leaf fat had a membrane that I peeled off before I ground it. Is that another way to be able to identify leaf fat?

[@muttsmunchies]

Your back!! Love it!!

[@luwrolstad1274]

You can also set the jars in a worn out sock to just block the light.

[@waynekeeler1442]

Thank you for your knowledge

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

When I watch these older videos I feel like I’m one of her kids in homeschool class 🥰

[@jcsaves9725]

Nice, thank you! God bless!!!

[@wolfthequarrelsome504]

A good, wholesome video.

[@matthewmcgowan5164]

I just happen to have a few bags of fat in my freezer from a hog i butchered last fall. may have to get a bag out and try this!!!

[@roberthicks4794]

Great teaching, thanks..

[@tbaker6938]

Would love to videos on beef tallow and used for tallow...like skin care as well as cooking

[@annasluka6708]

I've rendered duck fat and venison tallow like pork lard. I kept it in the fridge, and it worked great.

[@mardapienaar7565]

Me too, as we do not eat pork!

[@zrieger84]

Great video. Thank you

[@grandmashomemade9204]

Great info thanks

[@vincentconti3633]

Before the Advent of paper towels my nana drained the crackle over the pot!!

[@blueescobar3249]

It's so interesting watching this, even though I'm allergic to anything pork.

[@katehall2027]

You can do the same thing with beef. Ask your butcher for beef suet, thats the best part to use. :)

[@601salsa]

Slow cookers are brilliant.

[@kathrynfrost336]

Thank you!!!

[@jeansroses7249]

our local store used to have an actual butcher! He was a funny Italian guy. I ordered leaf fat from him; he seemed surprised to get my order, but he supplied it, and I made leaf lard from it, which turned out very good. I had learned about it from a free magazine I got in the mail: Saveur

[@rachelvanravenswaay7358]

Thankyou, your explanation is perfect. I will be rendering black bear fat and I expect it will give me similar results. God bless you!

[@Preciousaccordingto977]

The cracklings we are as kids, my dad’s family is Spanish & they were called chicharonis-so good!!

[@stephenross6463]

I just love ❤️ your content 👍🙏 Keep doing videos about fat! KEEP KETO CRUSHING IT ❤️👏👍💪

[@wesleysriffle]

Man! Y’all’s videos have came a long way. They look like a Saturday morning show nowadays

[@adambowman8543]

We do lard in large quantities, using a 25gal. Cast iron kettle, and a lard press. We then put the lard in metal cans for about a half hour then transfer into a mix of quart and half gallon jars

[@robw748]

Thank you so much.

[@seanmanwill2002]

Another very helpful video! I'm killing a large sow in three days, and I haven't rendered lard in fifty years! Needless to say, I would have most likely ruined a lot of really nice lard. Thank you Mam!

[@joshprescott1474]

i love your videos good job

[@stacyhackney6100]

Thank you.

[@veronicaferris6633]

I have literally just finished putting my first lot of lard into jars. I used my slow cooker and beef fat. Only thing I may have cooked it too long. Will update once it’s cooled and I use it for the first time . P.s love this channel and have learned a lot 😊

[@tammieshurtleff61]

what is the difference between using beef fat or pork? We just had our steer slaughtered and I would love to use the fat for lard, but it seems that pig fat is utilized more, and I'm wondering why...

[@thebarefootflutist]

@@tammieshurtleff61 My understanding is that the process is the same whether rendering beef tallow or pork fat. Jill Winger is my source. She says the beef tallow is great for French fries. Best to you!

[@jeremygibbs7342]

Very helpful vid! Ty!

[@shesellssouthwestfloridaho7604]

YOU are amazing and a wonderful teacher! How on earth did you learn all of these skills?!

[@SunnybraeCroft]

Just got 1 litre of the clearest oil into jars, thanks for the video. Hugh Isle of Skye

[@sweartomybutt1580]

you are a genius!

[@JamesCouch777]

Growing up we always butchered a hog and rendered the fat. We had a lard press and even baked the fat off the skin. Sure made good donuts!

[@fuckingeveryname]

informative, thank you

[@normamccomas9272]

excellent video!

[@shanderela]

I live in the city, But I dream of something better and More simple. That is why I find it so hysterical That I just watched this whole video with so much interest & enjoyment!my daughter just asked what I was watching, And when I told her she looked so confused. That's so gross mom why wouldn't you just buy it if you need it? Oh dear lord help us all So I wouldn't have to buy it and wonder what was in it My dear sweet

[@kuzadupa185]

Lard on toasted bread tastes amazing. For some reason it tastes far better in winter vs summer.

[@scruffy6151]

Hey quit eating all the cracklin's my mom use the spoon she was stiring the fat with on our knuckles if we got caught had to be fast lol. Thank you for the video.

[@scruffy6151]

Why do you say this.

[@scruffy6151]

Ann Merrick. Yes i understand fully how bad it is for me that is why i stay away from it as much i can. I uses very little sugar if i use sugar it is light brown or dark brown I like honey or good home maple syrup better then sugar. This video has nothing to do with sugar that is why i asked why you made the this statement.

[@scruffy6151]

Ann Merrick. I said quit eating all the cracklins. How do get sugar out of that statment? Yes i know they sugar is in many things but, high fructose corn syrup is in many more things which is far worse than sugar.

[@scruffy6151]

Ann Merrick. Just to clear the air here my mom used cracklin's for other things and us kids mostly me would take them when see was not looking that is why you would have to be fast at taking them or pay the price lol. Have a good day 😊.

[@scruffy6151]

Ann Merrick. Why do you assume that i use a lot of sugar if you are going to accuse me of using to much of something try bacon and eggs, cayenne, beef, pork, fruit or vegetable not much suger needed to eat this type of food. I do not makes cakes, cookies or pastrys because, of the sugar that is needed to make them. What does ma'am stand for if it is madam you need to have your eyes checked or look closer at my picture. I also thank you for bring more attendtion to this channel. Have a nice day😊.

[@coolbreeze8572]

Great video thanks

[@HomesteadingFamily]

You bet

[@nancynoname5979]

Great video! Love all your videos. Would be nice if you had links to the utensils used.

[@sanctuaryplace]

thanks!

[@Preciousaccordingto977]

I’m gunna do it!

[@geneking1918]

I have a question. First of all...I liked your video so thank you ! How long can it last on the shelf?

[@williamstanley4960]

I rendered 3 lbs of sliced bacon that I cut to small bits in my 6" Cast Iron Chicken Fryer! It came of so awesome!

[@vincentconti3633]

There is nothing better than eggs fried in bacon fat....with a little bacon on the side!!!

[@williamstanley4960]

@@vincentconti3633 I am heating up two pieces of a pork roast I cooked yesterday...in the fat from three pounds of bacon I am reducing into crumbles to use on eggs.

[@greenrage2484]

Thanks Caroline.. I have always felt this is the fat I can trust..and true fat our own bodies recognise.. Have always used it for my baking, cooking and of course soap making.. Great Video..

[@greenrage2484]

Only if you buy into what media has told you.. Try a test.. Use a George foreman gill and cook beef pattys on it and save the fat that comes from beef.. it sets up into a hard substance called lard.. That does clog arteries.. Then try it with pork pattys.. and let that fat sit.. That stays a liquid unless you put it in the fridge.. After cooking with it for 40 years.. I think I will take my chances.. It has now been proven that the one substance that is responsible for heart disease and many, many other diseases... Is 100% Sugar.

[@greenrage2484]

As you wish...

[@greenrage2484]

headlinehealth.com/these-two-foods-are-the-worst-for-your-heart-health/

[@kennethpensyl7791]

I keep trying to watch this, it isn't my favorite kind of vidio. But I like to listen to you Caroline. Do you like that kitchen?

[@GardensLadyBug]

TY

[@tammycrawford1221]

Enjoyed the teaching! I want to try rendering beef Tallow . What recipes can you use the beef and pork lard in?

[@KingJamesBibleBeliever-de9fy]

I've kept my bacon fat after I've eaten breakfast into a jar on the counter with older fat for years never had a problem reusing it, except the time missed a little piece of bacon or egg when I strained it back into the jar an got some geen mold, otherwise not a problem.

[@gpozdol7912]

You're a Gold Mine.